THE Commercial and A‘gricultural Magazine.
«
No. XXI.] APRE: 1T801. N OL. IV
We hope the late melancholy Event of the Loſs of the INVINCIBLE will cauſe the general Adoption of Mr. LoGAN?s improved Spire-Buoy, We preſent to our Readers a brief Account of this important Invention, illuſtrated by a Plate. Eleven Hundred Commanders and Pilots have given unanimous Teftimóny of the Excellence of thè Effe& of this Inven- tion.—Sóme national Reward- ſhould be given to its Author by every civilized Maritime Power. DE
DESCRIPTION OF THE,MARINE-PYRAMID, OR
SPIRE-BUOY, INVENTED BY MR. M.LOGAN.
|) Y the flux and reflux of the ſea to and from the rivers, bays, Ï and inlets, or the continued gravitation and‘action of the Waters, accelerated by the force of tempeſtuous gales of wind, on the coaſts of the great continents‘and on thoſe of iſlands ſituated in the main ocean, the moſt intricate and variable chan- nels are formed; and, by this perpetual and natural excavation, the moſt dangerous ſand-banks, ſhoals, and rocks, are formed in or near the entrance of. rivers, roads, or harbours, on the ſea-coaſts. Hence originated, with the increaſe of maritime commerce, the eſtabliſhment of the coaſt-buoyage, intended as directing fignals, or conftant pilots for the coâſt-navigator.
From thé year 1538, when the commencement of an eta- bliſhed Buoyage took place at the entrance of the river Thames, on the eâſf coaſt of England,(or towards the latter end of the reign of Henry VIIL.) during a period of two hundred and ſixty years, the extent and real utility of this eſtabliſhment have never become the ſubj¿& of profeſſional conſideration; and, as to im- provement by new inventions, nothing has been produced; though, during this period, millions in value have been loft, and thouſands of men have periſhed in the ſea, from the im- perfections of coafſt-navigation.
Hence this objet may be juſtly conſidered cf the firſt import- ance to the intereſt of commerce from its indiſpenſable utility to navigation. Its-improvement may be carried to very great ex- tent, if regarded as, it ought to be; that is, aecordinsz to the degrees of preſervation which an enlarged and ſuperior eftabliſþ- ment 1s capable to aftord ſhipping in the moſt dangerous parts of any voyage trom one port or place to-another.
The ineſtimable value of Signals of Danger, on a proper plan of conſtruction, ſtationed onor near a coaft expoſed to heavy gales of wind, and-ſucrounded with fſand-banks, ſhoals, oc rocks, 1s ſo’ well known to profeſſional men, that it is ſcar poſſible to‘advance an expreſion that can increaſe that
Com.© Ag Mag Vol, LV, WA
pp — C
-_